21 Ways to Engage Students in School:
Results of the
School
Engagement Contest
By
Gretchen Mann-Erickson
and
Judith
Martinez, NCSE
NCSE is
commited to pursuing and learning what schools and communities
are doing to promote school engagement. In April 2007, NCSE
hosted a contest, called “21 Ways to Engage Students in School”
to create a list of successful and practical strategies that
lead to school engagement. The overarching goal was to create a
greater awareness of strategies that are asset-based. Schools,
community-based groups, and public agencies were encouraged to
submit their own successful strategies that foster school
engagement.
The response to
the contest was positive and NCSE received entries for over 50
different strategies for school engagement. To select the top
strategies, the contest was judged by 20 school and community
leaders and included school personnel, a student intern, NCSE
Advisory Board Members and staff, plus Board members and staff
of the Colorado Foundation for Families and Children (NCSE’s
parent organization.) Judges used the NCSE Framework for School
Success to rate how well each strategy addressed those
objectives. The NCSE Framework for School Success is based on
school engagement that integrates three necessary elements,
known as the 3 As – attendance, attachment and achievement.
The following
list is an excerpt of the strategies grouped by topic and
activity. Highlighted are 8 of the 21 strategies.
Click here for a full copy of the
publication, which includes a section on best practices in
applying and implementing strategies are provided at the end of
this publication.
·
Family and
Community Involvement
In addition to
attending the standard “parent night," parents/students are
required to complete hours toward building community
partnerships (i.e., volunteering at the local museum, city
clean-up day, etc.)
Source: Truancy Reduction Achieved in Our Communities Project,
San Antonio,
TX
·
After-School
Programs
After-school
program designed using many aspects of instructional best
practices: establishing guiding questions, webbing with
students, etc. Learning experiences are created with intentional
learning in mind.
Source:
Englewood Schools, Englewood, CO
·
Interest Clubs
Interest clubs
were developed to provide all students an opportunity to
participate in an activity of their choice. The clubs are run by
teachers and staff every Friday during the school day for 45
minutes. Each student gets to join 3 clubs during the school
year.
Source:
School District,
Madison,
WI
·
Fun with Math
A school in
Independence,
Virginia
celebrates Pi Day on 3/14. Created to help students enjoy math
by offering a fun-filled day honoring Pi. Events included a pie
eating contest, measuring the diameter and circumference of
round objects to calculate pi, and other games related to
circles.
Source:
Independence
School District,
Independence,
VA
·
Creative Classroom Rules
Students
created a list of classroom rules to be followed. Each student
signs off on the rules and is held accountable by fellow
students. In addition, they developed their own “honor roll," in
which students are recognized for doing their best, following
directions, and not talking out more than 3 times a day.
Source: Linn
Benton
Lincoln
Education Service District,
Eugene,
OR
·
College Collaboration
A local college
delivers 3.5 hours of continuing education courses (“Educational
Opportunities”) to truant students and their families. The
curriculum includes the negative consequences associated with
poor school attendance and the positive consequences associated
with scholastic achievement. Discussion of transition from high
school to college is discussed and a tour of the college is
provided.
Source:
Mesquite,
TX
School District,
Mesquite,
TX
·
Coordinate
Bullying Prevention Activities
Bullying
prevention efforts seem to work best if they are coordinated by
a representative group from the school. A student advisory group
also can be formed to focus on bullying prevention and provide
valuable suggestions and feedback to adults.
For more information visit:
www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov.
Source:
Brush
School District,
Brush,
Colorado
